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Monday, 2 July 2012

Camping weekend #1

We have planned three weekends of camping in a row, which have been in the diary for months. This weekends camp site had been booked since January - dreaming of June days in a Shropshire field, with a tinkling stream where the children could play and large skies where the adults could swap stories until the wee small hours around the fire. But as this Summer has proved so far, t'was a complete wash out. Not to say we didn't enjoy ourselves but boy, were we tested.

We arrived at our destination over 5 hours later, after many arguments with the sat nav, and a car laden with the bare necessities needed for one night under canvas. We briefly hugged hello to friends not seen for nearly 10 years. All of us once again a lot greyer, more tired and with an abundance of children. Before beer drinking and proper socialising could begin we needed to get the tent up, which we did pretty swiftly after a few years of no practice. But that good old friend of this Summer, the rain, did not help our efforts. The first couple of showers we giggled and huggled in the car, half way through putting the tent pegs in, the second down pour we smiled a little less, and after that, once our sleeping arrangements had been made, we resigned ourselves to sogginess. The kids where like bullets out of a gun screaming and running around the camp site with oodles of pent up energy, making friends quickly and excited by the change of scenery. Straight into the stream they went, with socks and wellies only to fall over and fill up the said boots so that they now had no dry footwear left. Brilliant, we had 23 hours to go. It was pissing down as we huddled under gazebos, packets of coleslaw slowly filling with rain, open bags of Kettle chips ruined and bread damp from the atmosphere - the saving grace was that the beers were nice and cold in the stream.

It WAS fun though. It is so refreshing to get away and discover another corner of England. And as we fell into the house last night, exhausted by our efforts (only to be greeted by two piles of cat puke - I told them not to eat it all at once - but did they listen? No) we slowly unpacked the filth that is camping and smiled. Once we had bathed, clean jim jams all round, a nice hot meal and clean sheets we all sighed 'Ahhhhh' in appreciation of all things homely. And that is why I like camping, it challenges you, makes you feel like you have had an adventure, we didn't take the easy road , we went ahead with colds and survived, home felt wonderful and safe. Its the yin and yang. Can't wait to go again next week, to a festival this time. Would it be too much to ask for maybe....a little less rain?

Oh yes, taking the kids, they have been going since they were babies. We have been to Green Man, local ones (one nighter) near us, Lounge on the Farm and we are off to Croissant Neuf in August. We nearly did Camp Bestival last year but heard not so great things. Mind you, if the weather continues like this we might bail out early, long range forecast looks ok-ish.

I felt your pain when those wellies got wet! Very hard to dry at the best of times let alone on a wet campsite. Congrats on surviving the weekend though! We are off to a festival this weekend too - without kids! Gasp!

Any recommendations for the best ones with a couple of toddlers in tow?

They passed the camping test (albeit we cheated with a Tepee), and they are both obsessed with dancing (albeit a strange mix of flailing limbs and acrobatics) yet the thought of a festival had passed me by as quickly as any new music post 2009!

Hi Sonny! Do it - festivals are hilarious with kids. Top tips are wet wipes, waterproofs all over, things to do in the tent when they wake up at 5.30am, snacks and drinks and an open mind. For adults, take ear plugs because you won't get to see the late bands, a bottle of whiskey so you stay warm and pass out and an open mind. Dance, be silly, talk to everyone and have a great time. Doesn't matter how much crap food they eat or lack of washing...its only 2 nights after all. I will let you know how this weekend goes in a blog post....but I would recommend something small for your first go..we are off to Croissant Neuf in August - check out the website. Its a hippy dippy affair!

About Me

I have written a diary since I was 12. That's 26 years of my life accounted for in diaries collecting dust in the loft. Every single day written in detail, apart from 3 months whilst in Kenya when my bag was stolen on a bumpy bus ride to Lamu. And then one day in February 2012 I just stopped. I couldn't see the point any more. I wasn't prepared for the feelings that followed, that suddenly I had no record of the odd life encounters I was having, the places we visit and the people we meet. So instead I decided to share my reflections here - Firstly as Sussex Mama and as of July 2016, Mallorca Mama.